The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 04, 2016
Filed:
Aug. 15, 2014
Disney Enterprises, Inc., Burbank, CA (US);
James R. Robertson, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Philip J. Jackson, Glendale, CA (US);
DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC., Burbank, CA (US);
Abstract
A robot that includes two or more skeletal or rigid links interconnected by a joint. The joint is pneumatically actuated and includes a pneumatic joint actuator that allows the robot's skeletal links to be moved in an expressive manner. The pneumatic actuator includes a pair of opposing air bladders encased within a housing or body of the joint. Each air bladder is positioned on an opposite side of an actuating lever arm, which is rigidly attached to one of the skeletal links and is pivotally mounted on the joint body or housing. Movement of the actuating lever arm causes the attached skeletal link to pivot. To obtain this selective movement, one of the two air bladders is filled with a gas, such as air, while the other is left un-inflated or less inflated, and this forces the lever arm and attached skeletal link to pivot about their mounting point.